


The Amazon

by thefutureisequalaf



Category: Tomb Raider (Video Games), Wonder Woman (2017), Wonder Woman (Comics)
Genre: Amazon, Crossover Pairings, F/F, WonderCroft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-05 01:48:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12180540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefutureisequalaf/pseuds/thefutureisequalaf
Summary: Lara Croft has washed ashore on worse islands. Still, it'd be nice to be allowed to leave, for once.All glory to pfangirl, author of “Living Legend”, which inspired this (lighter, shorter) story.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Living Legend](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7538347) by [pfangirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pfangirl/pseuds/pfangirl). 



> Lara Croft/Wonder Woman is a brilliant pairing and I wanted more of it, so I decided to write it myself :)
> 
> Set post-Rise of the Tomb Raider and pre-Diana leaving Themyscira.

Lara Croft would've lied, but she'd forgotten how. There was nothing in her mind except the truth, not even a reason for staying quiet. So she said, “I came here to learn if the legends of the Amazons are true.” She smirked. “I never dreamed I'd find the legends alive.”

The queen of the Amazons did not smirk back. “What did you intend to do, once you learned the truth?”

Lara shook her head. “I intended to document it and publish it, but now I don't know.” Her brow creased. “Your culture has a far greater Greek influence than I expected. My research portrayed the Amazons as Near Eastern horse nomads.”

Somewhere in the back of Lara’s consciousness, she knew this wasn’t the time to geek out, but she couldn’t help it. It must be something about the golden cord binding her wrists together. She knew that ought to bother her, too, but it didn’t. All that mattered now was the truth. For the first time in years, she could talk about her studies without reservation or fear.

The dark-haired young woman standing at the queen’s right smiled and was about to say something, but a glance from the queen stopped her. “How did you find us?” The queen asked.

“I didn’t expect to find actual Amazons. This island I found after a year of research and a little luck. I worked out where to look, and then a storm threw me overboard and I washed up here. How do you speak English so fluently?”

“Will people in Man’s World assume you have perished?”

“Man’s world?”

“Your society.”

“Oh. Most will, once I’m missed. I think a few will think they know better.”

“Know better than what?”

“Than to think a simple storm killed me. I’m hard to kill.”

“What about your trail? Could you be followed here?”

“Possibly, but I’ve learned to cover my tracks.”

“Yet if one person could find us, so could others.”

It wasn’t a question, but Lara responded regardless. “They’d have to take the legends of the Amazons seriously, first. The few who do are looking in what the Greeks called Scythia. It’s a long, faint trail of evidence that leads from there to here.”

“You said you don't know what you'll do with what you learn here. Why not?”

“I’m not much of an anthropologist, but I think revealing your existence would go against the ethics of the field. That should be your decision.”

The queen's face was impassive. “The council will decide your fate. Diana and Artemis, take her to the spare chambers and keep watch.”

As soon as the golden cord was replaced with mundane rope, Lara's temper flared. After all that, these women couldn’t trust her? Couldn’t they make up their minds while they had her tied up with that truth rope? “Put it back on,” she barked at an Amazon with a waist-length red ponytail. The woman blinked at her. Lara tossed her head impatiently, nodded at the coiled golden cord in the Amazon’s hand, and held out her wrists. Red Hair and Dark Hair looked at each other, then at their queen. The queen nodded and they looped the golden cord around Lara's wrists. Her resentment vanished, but she didn’t forget her purpose. “I won't try to escape. You can untie me.”

The queen frowned. “Will you resist our authority over you while you are on our island?”

Lara frowned back. “Not if you aren't wrong or unjust.”

“In whose judgement? Yours or ours? No, you will remain bound until you are secure inside your quarters. Take her.”

* * *

Before undoing Lara’s bonds, the Amazon with the long red hair pointed out the window of the high room. “There are archers watching. Don’t try anything.”

“Artemis,” the dark-haired one said, “you heard her. She will not-”

Artemis cut her off. “You don't know Man's World, Diana. She could be planning any number of things which aren't an escape.”

Diana’s face fell. “Oh.”

Artemis made a noise of gruff sympathy. “It’s not your fault you aren't cynical. Just don’t trust her, okay?” She put a hand on Diana’s shoulder and left the room.

Lara looked around the spare room. It was spacious enough, with touches of Classical luxury. “Wow. Nicest prison I've ever been in.”

Behind her, the remaining Amazon's voice sounded stung. “Prison?”

Lara folded her arms, still facing away. “Am I free to leave?”

“No.”

“Then I'm a prisoner and this is a prison.” She turned. “Why is it not your fault you aren't cynical?”

The Amazon pursed her lips. “Why,” she asked slowly, “are you talking to me?”

Lara sighed and sat on the edge of her prison bed – a silk-sheeted double. “Because you smiled at me back there and that’s all I've got right now.”

The Amazon bit her lip, seemed to come to a conclusion, and sat next to Lara. “Call me Diana. We never asked you your name. What is it?”

“Lara Croft. I guess names aren't necessary, if you can be sure of the truth. What was that thing you used on me?”

“The Lasso of Hestia? It is a gift from the gods.”

“Quite a gift.” Lara shifted to face Diana. “Why aren't you cynical?”

“Because I'm the only Amazon to be born on Themyscira. I have no experience of Man’s World.”

Lara grappled with that statement. “How long have the others been here? The architecture looks ancient.”

“Close to twenty-four hundred years.” Diana said it as though it was nothing.

Lara stared for a second, then dropped her head into her hands. “Shit. More deathless ones.”

Diana bristled. “What does that mean?”

Lara lifted her head and shook it. “Never mind. Your people seem sane. I've just had…bad experiences with long-lived humans. They were all mindless guardians of something or another.” She sensed Diana stiffen. “I said _mindless_ guardians. Don’t tell me; there's a powerful, dark secret here.”

Diana looked as stern as the queen. “What do you know?”

“I told you not to tell me. No, I don’t know anything about any secret. I'm just realizing that that's how these things go.” Lara waited until Diana relaxed. “How come you’re in here talking to me?”

Diana smiled. “Because the queen did not forbid it, and I am her daughter.” She had a fine smile.

Lara felt herself returning it. “Shouldn’t a princess be with the council that’s deciding what to do with the prisoner?”

“They would not listen to me. I know nothing of Man’s World, remember? Maybe I am naïve, Lara, but as far as I am concerned, you are a guest of the Amazons, not our prisoner.”

Diana was so pleasant, Lara almost believed her. She took a moment to look at the Amazon again. If she’d been asked to picture an Amazon princess, Lara’s image wouldn’t have been far from Diana. She was easily six feet tall – Lara didn’t know why she’d always assumed Amazons would be tall, but it turned out that they were. Diana had wavy black hair down to her shoulder blades and sun-kissed skin. Her blue eyes looked intelligent and far from naïve. More than any of that, though, there was just something _about_ her. Something that made you feel you could trust her with anything, be it your deepest secrets or governing an island of strong-willed women.

“I suppose there is another reason I'm talking to you,” Diana added. “I did not want you to be lonely. I have never lacked for company here and it does not seem right that you should, either.”

Lara couldn’t believe it. Not that she thought Diana was lying, but because people just don’t say things like that. It must've shown on her face, because Diana asked, “Is something wrong?”

Looking into Diana’s concerned eyes was like having that truth lasso wrapped around her heart. “No…I guess…I guess I've been lonely for a lot of my life…god, I can't believe I'm telling you this.”

Diana slid close and put her arm around Lara's shoulders. “Is this okay?”

Lara looked away. “You are too good for words.”

“I will stop if you want me to.”

Lara shrugged. Diana let go and rested her hand in her lap. They sat in silence for a while, until Diana said, “May I ask you a personal question?”

Lara shrugged again. “You can try.”

“What would your answers to my mother have been, had she not bound you with the Lasso?”

“Had I been free to deceive? Hmmm…I wouldn’t have said I was looking for Themyscira or had any interest in the Amazons.”

Diana looked surprised. “Why not?”

“Because I would've been wary and tried to keep any advantages I had.”

“You would have seen it as a confrontation.”

“The other Amazons did. They were right to, not knowing me.”

A knock sounded on the open door. “Diana.” Artemis stood in the doorway. “The council sends for us and the prisoner.”

As Diana turned bright red, Lara couldn’t help a dry chuckle.

* * *

Queen Hippolyta, flanked by a collection of distinguished-looking Amazons, spoke. “By mere knowledge of our existence, you are a danger to the Amazons. If we trusted you with that knowledge, we might permit you to return to Man’s World, but we do not. Unless that changes, you will remain on Themyscira. What is your name?”

Lara cleared her throat. “Lara Croft.”

“Lara Croft, I advise you not to hold out hope to return to Man’s World. Your best course is to submit to our ruling and assimilate into Amazon society.” The queen paused, but Lara stayed silent. “Until now, we have regarded you as a prisoner. Now, should you cooperate, you will be our guest, and eventually one of us. For the time being, you shall have freedom of movement, so long as you are accompanied by two Amazons at all times.”

Lara said nothing.

“Perhaps this is a blessing,” Diana said, as she and Artemis returned Lara to her room. “You need not be lonely again.”

Lara wasn’t interested. Archers below the window be damned; she’d spotted her survival kit in the council chambers.

* * *

Compared to some of the cliff faces she’d climbed, Amazon architecture was easy going. Even on this moonless night, Lara made steady progress around the palace walls to the council chambers. She dropped in through the broad window overlooking the city and surveyed the room. Her things were on the plinth at the far end, just as they’d been before.

Lara's survival kit contained hard-learned lessons: a rugged multi-tool; a compass; a fire striker; bandages and antiseptic; a pistol; signal flares; and, most importantly, a satellite phone. She pulled out the compass, the phone and its antenna. She checked the compass and found good luck – the windows opened in the right direction for the satellite. Looking out, she slowly scanned the sky with the antenna until a green light flickered to life and shone steadily. That was the satellite. Keeping the antenna steady, she spoke into the phone.

“Jonah, this is Lara. I can’t tell you where I am, but I'm safe. Please don’t look for me. Promise me you won't look for me. It would only put innocent people in grave danger. Again, I'm safe. Please trust me. Lara out.”

Lara collapsed the satphone's antenna. She needed to repack her kit, in case the Amazons had taken inventory. She turned away from the window.

And met a sword point at her throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always, always welcome :)


	2. Chapter 2

The weather had been a calculated risk. Bad weather meant fewer boats, fewer planes, fewer eyes, and Lara did not want to be followed. The plan was simple: Croft boards ship. Crew doesn’t keep records. Croft slips away in lifeboat near Themyscira. Crew blames storm and collects insurance money. It was a calculated risk and it failed. Seas were much rougher than predicted; Lara endured barely half an hour in the lifeboat before a rogue wave tossed her into the Mediterranean with only her life vest and survival kit. Next thing she knew, she was coughing up seawater on a beach while two anachronistically-dressed women knelt at her sides. From there to the Lasso of Truth was a hazy mess of semi-consciousness, but the moment the golden cord touched her she came fully aware. And what there was to be aware of – the Amazons still lived on Themyscira! It might’ve been a dream come true, except these were real people, with real concerns about their security, and one of those people was now very cross with her.

Artemis’s green eyes, narrowed to slits scarcely wider than her sword, glared at Lara. “I told you she’d go for it.” Behind her, Diana sighed. Artemis demanded, “Who is Jonah?”

Lara’s voice stayed level. “He's my friend, and he'll go to the ends of the Earth if he thinks I need rescuing. I had to let him know I'm safe.”

Artemis held her sword steady. “A man. What do you think now, Diana?”

Diana stood next to her sister Amazon. “I still think the Lasso is our best option.”

“We can't go running to your mother for it whenever something comes up. We might not have time.”

“Then we should convince her to lend it to us.”

Lara grew impatient, despite the blade beneath her chin. “Just tie your damned rope around my arm and leave it there.”

“I was against untying you from the beginning,” Artemis said drily.

Lara matched her tone. “Glad to hear we agree on something.” The flat of the sword pushed up under her jaw, but she held Artemis's gaze.

The sword lowered. “I didn't know women from Man's World had such spirit.”

“You’re a woman from Man's World,” Lara pointed out.

For a moment, she thought the sword was on its way back, but then Artemis smirked. “A woman forgets, after a few millennia.”

“Can’t say I blame you.”

Diana took a step closer. “Why did you not simply ask us, Lara?”

Artemis answered for her. “If she'd told us she had a communications device, the council would’ve destroyed it.”

“You are naïve, Diana,” Lara said gently. Diana worked her lips and looked away.

Artemis spoke again. “Diana, she didn’t ask you because she thought it was too important to risk. You heard what she said to her Jonah. Lara, can your communications device be tracked back to its location?”

Lara shook her head. “Absolutely not. It's an encrypted, spread-spectrum, frequency-hopping, pencil beam satellite radio.” The Amazons gave her blank stares. “No, it can't. Look, you’re just going to cross-examine me again with the lasso, right? Can we go get it over with?”

* * *

With the council summoned, Diana looped the lasso loosely around Lara’s wrists and held the ends. “What did you do?”

“I used my radio to warn my friend not to look for me.” Eyebrows went up around the room.

“Why did you do it?”

“So that he wouldn’t inadvertently draw attention to Themyscira by searching for me.” Arms uncrossed and Amazons shifted on their feet.

“Can your communication be traced back here?”

“No.”

Diana turned to her mother. “Are you satisfied?”

Queen Hippolyta stepped closer and held out her hand. Diana – reluctantly, it seemed to Lara – gave her the lasso’s ends. The queen asked, “Do you know for a fact that it cannot be traced?”

Lara shook her head. “To trace it, you’d have to already know exactly where and when I’d use it.”

“What attention do you not want to draw to us?”

“Any.”

“But what made you sneak out of your room?”

Lara grimaced. “Trinity.”

“What is Trinity?”

“An order of zealous, heavily-armed power-seekers. Anything supernatural, they seek to control, especially if it’s to do with human longevity. My research has already led them to attack one isolated people. I’m not making the same mistakes agai-” she stopped because a light was blinking inside her survival kit. “Jonah.”

“What?”

“My satphone. A message from Jonah.”

Lara started for it, but the queen held up a hand. “No.”

“But-”

“Artemis, you know the device she speaks of? Get it and bring it to us.”

Lara took the satphone from Artemis and played the waiting message:

_“Lara, I don’t know how, but your disappearance is all over the news. There’s a massive search effort underway. I think you’re gonna get found, whether you want it or not. Better for you to pick when and where. Jonah out.”_

“What does this mean?” The queen demanded.

“It means I need to get as far away from here as possible, as soon as possible. Nobody was supposed to know I was even in the region. If they know that, they might know what I came for. If they do, they’ll assume I’m missing because I found Themyscira. If I now turn up somewhere, they’ll conclude that Themyscira is nearby. If I stay, they’ll keep looking until they stumble across us. I need to get away from here.”

“Who is ‘they’?” Diana asked.

“Trinity. It has to be. They’re the only ones who would benefit from something like this. They must know that you’re alive, somehow…did I miss something? I don’t recall anything about longevity in my research…hell, maybe they just assumed because I’m a Croft. Doesn’t matter now. How am I getting off this island?”

The queen spoke. “If what you think is true, our hand is forced. We will prepare a boat for you-”

“A boat?” Lara was exasperated. “If that’s the best you can…I suppose it is. I won’t get far, though.”

“Mother-”

The queen was short. “No, Diana.”

“Mother, you know it is the best chance she has – the best chance _we_ have.”

Lara looked between queen and princess as they stared each other down. Queen blinked first. “Very well. Be safe and hurry back. Lara, gather everything you arrived with. You are leaving immediately.”

“How?”

Diana beamed. “I can fly.”

* * *

At the edge of a cliff, wearing her life vest and survival kit, Lara rejoined Diana. “How does this work?”

“I embrace you, and then jump.”

Lara met that statement with a skeptical nod. “And you just fly?”

Diana tried and failed to keep a straight face. “Oh, not really. I was going to let you think that, but actually I am wearing an invisible pair of wings.”

“You’re putting me on.”

“I am serious. They were a birthday gift from Hermes.”

“As in, the mythological figure?”

“The same.”

Lara Croft frowned.

“Trust goes both ways, Lara,” Diana said gently.

Lara gave a wry smile.

* * *

After an hour’s flight opposite the sea currents, Diana set Lara in the water. “I am sorry I cannot stay with you until you are found. Goddesses be with you, Lara.”

Laura grinned. “You, too, Diana. Stay cautious; don’t want to lead anyone back home.”

“I will. Goodbye.” Diana zoomed away over the waves. She made it six miles before she noticed Lara had clipped the satphone to her belt.

* * *

_“Jonah, you know I trust you. I just can't ignore the possibility that Trinity will capture you again.”_

_“Is that all I am now? A liability? After everything we've been through?”_

Lara turned over in bed. She couldn’t tell Jonah that she'd found the actual Amazons. She couldn’t tell him why she couldn’t tell him. Their reunion after her rescue had soured quickly. Now, she hadn't seen him in two weeks. Living by herself in Croft Manor, she felt as lonely as she ever had. Maybe it'd been long enough now to try….no. She'd sworn to wait at least a month.

She rolled over and felt the wind on her face again. Saw the dark hair fluttering like a banner. Remembered the strong arm wrapped around her chest and the two legs crossed over hers, holding her above the waves. God, there was flying, and then there was _flying…_

 _You’re pining, Lara,_ her inner monologue said.

_Of course I'm pining! The greatest archaeological and anthropological discovery of this century, and I'm torn away from it in within hours!_

That was the other reason for not telling Jonah. He wouldn’t approve of her going back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 10/10/2017: changed the ending of the chapter.

Every day, Diana checked Lara's satphone. Every day, she was disappointed. There was no message.

Until there was.

_“Diana…ugh, there's no use beating about the bush. I want to come back to Themyscira. I miss…I missed out on so much during my brief imprisonment. It's a lot to ask, I know. I tried my best to travel undetected last time and it didn’t work, but if you got me out safely, maybe you can get me back in? Think about it, I guess. I hope things are well with you and Themyscira. Such a beautiful place…_

_“Anyhow, to send me a message, you need to…”_

Diana sighed. There was no way her mother would approve, but she couldn’t take the safety of the entire Amazon nation into her own hands.

* * *

Hippolyta smiled in sympathy. “You liked her.”

“There was something in her eyes…a drive. Strength. She could have been one of us.”

“Her eyes were hardened like Artemis's, yes. She has strength, but there were other things in her eyes. Darker things.”

“Name them,” Diana challenged.

“She is dangerous, Diana.”

“What do you see in her that I do not?”

“She has seen more death than some of our sisters. There is blood on her hands.”

“Mother, who among the Amazons would pass that test?”

“You. Diana, I am trying to protect-”

“It is only because Lara is from Man's World!”

“That should be reason enough to distrust her.”

“But to shun her?”

“She left by her own choice.”

“To shield us!”

“To shield her conscience.”

Diana stared. “What difference does that make?”

The queen sighed. “Diana. What do you think is going to happen if we bring her back?”

“We- I would learn about Man's World from her. She would learn about us.”

“And then what, daughter?”

“I don't understand.”

“After Lara Croft has learned her fill of Amazon history and culture, what then? Does she return to Man's World, knowing everything there is to know about us?”

“She would not betray us.”

“You cannot know for certain and it may be moot. What of this Trinity? If they are already watching her, should we fill her mind with knowledge of us and then turn her loose in Man's World?”

Diana bowed her head. “No mother, we should not.”

* * *

_“Lara Croft? I hope I am using this correctly. I am Diana. I have spoken with my mother. She asks why we should allow a scholar from outside to visit our home. I confess that I cannot answer her. Can you think of a reason which would persuade her that your knowledge would not pose a risk to us?_

_“I am sad because I want you to come back. Hopefully, I will see you again. Goddesses be with you, Lara.”_

Lara sat still, satphone in her hands. It was a damn good question. Why should the Amazons make themselves vulnerable through her? No, that was the wrong question. How could Lara avoid making the Amazons vulnerable?

Distract Trinity? If they could be made to forget her Mediterranean trip, maybe-

No. Hide the fact that there was something to hide. Give the Mediterranean trip a cover purpose. Pretend it had a different aim. Pick an immortality myth with ties to the Middle East and go after it. There had to be something in her father's research that fit the bill. Even if he knew it was a dead end, as long as Trinity didn’t know he knew, it would serve. She could even spin her Amazon research as an attempt to misdirect Trinity.

What about herself? She already knew the Amazons of Themyscira were ageless. Learning more wouldn’t make her any more dangerous to them than she already was. The chief thing was to keep Trinity from getting curious. She could do that.

Someday, though, she'd like to know that she wasn’t being watched.

* * *

One month later:

Diana was afraid Lara had given up, but finally she received a new message. _“Diana, come to the northernmost point of the island at midnight tonight.”_

That wasn’t what Diana had in mind. She wanted something she could take to her mother; this sounded like subterfuge. Better to be early, then.

A few minutes after midnight, Lara emerged, dripping, from the Mediterranean Sea. She doffed her SCUBA gear, leaving her clad in a yellow and black wetsuit jacket and black swim shorts. Diana and Artemis awaited her; Diana rested on a rock, but Artemis held a bow in her hand.

“Lara,” Diana said, “you need to explain yourself.”

“I thought it better to seek forgiveness than permission.”

“More expedient, maybe,” Artemis said.

“You need to come with us to the palace.”

Lara nodded. “I know. Let's go.”

* * *

“Interrupting the queen's sleep, again,” Hippolyta said drily, “is not helping your case. Lara Croft, why should I not imprison you?”

“Because you are in no danger.” Lara took a deep breath. “You’re right that the knowledge can’t be removed from my mind. What I did is give Trinity no reason to think that the knowledge exists.” She explained her stratagem and its execution over the past month. “I’ve done everything in my power to keep you safe.”

“Except stay away.”

Lara bowed her head to the queen. “Except that.”

“Well. Let us have the truth, then.” With the Lasso once again in place, Hippolyta asked her questions. “Have you told me the truth so far?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you come back to Themyscira?”

“Because I am fascinated by your people, the Amazons.”

“Is that fascination due to our goddess-given agelessness?”

“In part.”

“What do you know about Amazonian longevity?”

“Nothing. There was nothing about it in my research.”

“Should we allow you to remain on Themyscira, what path will you take on the subject?”

Lara told the truth. “I’ll try to learn as much as I can while I'm here, quietly, without arousing suspicion. From there I'll decide whether humankind can and would benefit from proper, scientific study of your agelessness.”

Diana stared. “Lara!” Artemis sighed.

The queen's eyes narrowed. “Last time, you said that would be unethical.”

Lara shook her head. “That was before I knew about your longevity. The potential good for humankind may outweigh the disruption to your society.”

“Why should we let that be your decision?”

For the first time, Lara paused before answering. “You shouldn’t. It should be your decision.”

“Will you respect that truth once we unbind you?”

“No.”

Diana turned her face away; Artemis put a hand on the princess's shoulder.

“I think that settles all questions. Do you understand why I cannot allow you to leave, or even to move freely amongst our people?”

Lara's chin quivered. “Y-yes.”

“Artemis, Penthesilea, take her to the same room. Double the watch.”

As she was led from the chamber, Lara wept. When she was unbound in her room, anger flooded after her tears. Once the door closed behind Artemis, Lara yelled, pounded her fist on the door, and collapsed with her back against it. This time, there was no one to come looking for her.

* * *

Amazons Lara didn’t recognize brought her breakfast and lunch, but Artemis brought supper. Lara felt disappointed, and it showed. Artemis asked, “Hoping to see Diana?” When Lara sighed, Artemis shook her head; “She won't see you.”

Lara started. “What?”

“She thought you came back to learn about her and her people.”

“I did.”

Artemis shook her head again. “You told us that you would study our longevity and attempt to conceal your interest. It seemed plain that you were more interested in it than us. That hurt her.”

“I’m interested in both. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Artemis looked disgusted. “If you were more interested in us, you would simply ask once you earned our trust.” She left without waiting for a reply. When she was gone, Lara dashed her plate of food on the floor.

* * *

Lara awoke to the sensation of being roughly grabbed and turned over onto her stomach. A hand closed around her wrists like a vise while something was wound around them. She was flipped over again and found herself staring up at the moonlit face of Princess Diana. Lara tried to sit up, but a strong hand on her shoulder held her down and strong legs pinned hers in place. Something dripped on her face. Diana was crying. “How could you do this to us?” She demanded.

Lara was stunned. “What?”

“How could you put your research ahead of our lives?”

Words came easily. “Because I want to vindicate my father. I already lost my best chance to prove him right about something, but if I could show that he wasn’t crazy to be chasing immortality myths, maybe people would respect him again.”

“And you would put that ahead of the future of the Amazons.”

Lara objected. “Like I said, only if it would be of benefit to humanity as a whole.”

“In Man's World?!”

“Yes! Think of it, Diana! An end to sickness and suffering-”

“Do you sincerely believe that introducing immortality into a world of betrayal and strife will lead to less suffering?”

Lara's brow wrinkled. “I…I don't know.”

“By Athena! Now who is naïve, Lara?”

“I want to believe that there's good that can come of it. What it could do for medicine, for science…”

“If the goddesses thought agelessness would be good for humankind, then why did they grant it only to us?” Lara was silent. “It can only work in a closed environment like Themyscira, Lara. No births, no conflict, and no death. Lara, it sounds like your father was treated unjustly, but maybe he should not be proved right, either.”

Lara felt tears welling up. “I can't just…I…I feel close to him when I further his research. It-it’s like we’re on my birthday expedition again.”

“Your birthday expedition?”

Haltingly, Lara told the story of the Egyptian treasure hunt her father had staged for her in Croft Manor. Diana softened as the tale progressed. Shifting off of Lara, she reclined alongside her captive. “He sounds like a person I would have liked to know,” she said at the end.

Lara sniffled. “That’s the hell of it. For all that, he was distant, absorbed in his work, more often than not. I didn’t know him anything like as well as I wanted to.”

“But when you continue his work, you feel like you do?”

“I see what he saw, I learn what he learned, and when I come across something new…” Lara choked up. “It’s like…it's like…”

“Finding it with him?” Lara nodded and her tears flowed. Diana wiped them away and helped her sit up. She held Lara, wrists still bound, close at her side. Lara rested her head against her.

“You have a really good shoulder for leaning on,” Lara said. A moment later, “Sorry; Lasso.”

“I will take it off in a minute.” Diana bit her lip. “Lara, what if…what if there was something we could offer in exchange for keeping our secret?”

Lara leaned back and narrowed her eyes. “It would have to be something exceptional, for me to give up the chance to restore Dad's dignity. I may never get another one.”

“What if I told you…we have a library?”

Lara stared, lips parted.

“If the queen permitted you to study in our library, would you forget all about our agelessness?”

“How old is the collection?”

“It dates from just before the Amazons settled on Themyscira.”

“How big Is it?”

“Thousands of scrolls. Every work of the Greeks, Persians, and Egyptians we could collect.”

“How well preserved?”

Diana smiled. “Perfectly.”

Lara had to catch her breath before speaking again. “I’d…I’d be allowed to use what I learn for my own studies, off of Themyscira?”

“As long as nothing leads back to us.”

Lara shook her head in wonderment. “I'll say it again: you are too good for words.”

Diana smiled with a hint of bashfulness. “And I said you were a guest, not a prisoner. We ought to be caring for you and learning about you, not fearing you and interrogating you.”

“After they made your heart, they broke the mold.”

Diana ducked her head. “I’d better let you sleep. We'll have to do the Lasso in front of the council again.” She unwound the Lasso from Lara’s wrists and rose to leave.

Halfway to the door, Lara's voice stopped her. “Diana?” She turned. “I don't know where I'd be, if not for you. Thank you.” In the dim light, she couldn’t see Diana blush.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed the end of the previous chapter on October 10, 2017. If you read it before then, reread the last section before moving on.

“You mean to bribe her with our sacred history?” One of the council demanded.

“Respect, Antiope!” The queen reprimanded, but she sympathized with the opinion. “Diana, this does sound like a dangerous bribe.”

The princess stood tall in the face of criticism. “It is not a bribe. It is a gambit. We sacrifice some of our secrets in exchange for securing the ones which matter. More importantly, this is about cultivating a relationship with her. She will not betray her friends.”

Another councilwoman spoke up. “Princess Diana, do you have reason to think that Croft will accept your proposal?”

“I do, Melanippe. With the Lasso of Truth, Lara will confirm her role in this plan. My queen?” Hippolyta nodded and Lara’s wrists were bound. Diana addressed her. “Lara, you heard my proposal. What say you?”

“I would be- it would- such a wealth of-” Lara stopped to swallow. “It would be the discovery of a lifetime. I would be forever in your debt.”

“Even if you found no leads you could safely use in your archaeological research?”

“Yes. Just knowing for myself would be…incredible.”

The queen stepped in. “Lara Croft, do you understand that we would interview you again after you have spent some time in our archives, and that no decision on your fate will be made until then?”

Lara nodded. “I understand.”

“Will you still understand after we unbind you?”

“Yes.”

The queen stepped back. “My questions are answered.”

Princess Diana swept the council with her eyes. “Shall we vote?”

* * *

“Congratulations,” Artemis said in a dry tone which was becoming familiar, “you’re back where you started. Freedom of movement and everything.”

“Would you have let me in the library when I was here before?”

“No.”

Lara smirked. “Then I'm way ahead of where I started.”

Princess Diana joined them. “Finally, you are a prisoner no more! Shall we go to the library?” She grinned conspiratorially and offered Lara her arm. Lara accepted it and grasped a handful of bicep muscle. Her lips parted in surprise; it was one thing to observe that the Amazons were built like warriors and quite another to put her hand on one. She took a moment to look over Diana again: strong shoulders, lean bust, tapering chest, thick legs…

“Lara?”

Lara looked up at Diana’s eyes. “Just glad we resolved this peacefully.”

Diana smiled. “So am I.”

* * *

The library of the Amazons was a gorgeous stone building uphill from the palace. Once Diana left her to her reading, however, Lara discovered a problem. She couldn’t focus. She held the literal wisdom of the ancients in her hands, but her mind wasn’t interested. No, her thoughts kept turning to something else. Some _one_ else.

It was Diana's physical strength which had turned Lara’s appreciation into attraction. Ever since the events on Yamatai, and even more so since Trinity entered the picture, she had always been the strong one. All her relationships were with people who needed her protection. Jonah was the perfect example; he was a true friend who'd stick with her through anything, but he couldn’t take care of himself. Not in Lara's line of work, anyway. It made Lara limit her circle of friends to people she was willing to bleed for. But here was Diana, who was, well, an Amazon. She would never need saving, surely. After years of maintaining safe distances from everyone she might befriend, Lara imagined being as open and warm as her heart desired. It was like a breath of fresh air.

A breath quickly taken away, however, because Diana looked like a young goddess. She was built with the attention to detail of a Classical sculpture. Her every line celebrated the female form's potential for grace and power. Lara, far from feeling overshadowed in comparison, filled with pride in sharing Diana's sex. Best of all, the woman radiated a joy in simply _being_ which Lara couldn’t get enough of. The library felt stuffy in comparison. Why read about legends when a living one awaited outside?

Leaving aside her mild horror at her inability to enjoy an ancient library, Lara felt conflicted about her interest in Diana. On the one hand, why shouldn’t she be interested? On the other, all the reasons why she shouldn’t. Crushes and anthropology don't mix, surely. She knew nothing of Amazonian courtship. She couldn’t make her home on Themyscira. Diana was a freaking princess. The list was endless.

So why couldn't she focus on the scroll in front of her?

By the time Artemis came to invite Lara to lunch, she'd found a compromise – the complete writings of Sappho. Reading them was probably making things worse, but she couldn’t just sit there and stare at the walls. Lunch came as a welcome break.

“I argued hard to make this informal,” Diana told Lara. “My mother would have had you at the palace with Antiope, Melanippe, and the others. I thought you would rather be out here with us.”

Lara had to agree. ‘Out here’ was a high terrace overlooking much of the city and the cerulean shoreline. ‘Us’ was Artemis, looking slightly more relaxed than usual, and Penthesilea, a sharp-eyed blonde who was tall even among the Amazons. “Are you named for the Amazon from the Trojan War?” Lara asked her.

“The one slain by Achilles?” Lara nodded. “Funny story,” Penthesilea continued. “That’s not how it happened.”

“Oh?” Lara felt a surge of intrigue. “What did happen?”

“I'm still alive. Imagine my surprise when I heard he’d killed me.”

Lara's jaw dropped. “You fought in the Trojan War?”

Artemis smirked. “She’s the youngest Amazon ever to lead our sisters into battle. Achilles refused to fight her and had to flee to avoid being killed.”

Penthesilea shook her head at the memory. “He was probably afraid he'd lose to a girl of seventeen. I wouldn’t have killed him, just humiliated him and let him die of ignominy, and he knew it.”

“Never believe anything a Greek says about the Amazons,” Artemis admonished Lara. “It’s all just them jerking off to themselves.”

Hearing Diana sigh, Lara looked to her. “Nobody will tell me what that means,” the princess lamented.

Lara laughed. “Ahh, you’re better off not knowing.” She missed the look Artemis and Penthesilea shared.

* * *

“Well, Lara, it's been delightful,” Penthesilea said when they had finished their meal, “but we don't want to keep you too long from your reading.”

“Actually…” Lara hadn't meant to speak and regretted it when Artemis's eyes narrowed at her. She sighed. “Actually, I'd rather talk to you. I mean, you were there! Sappho can wait.”

Artemis and Penthesilea exchanged another look. “What do you want to hear about?”

Lara blanked at the massive, open-ended question. “Um…where’s Troy?”

The Amazons stared. “You don't know where Troy is?”

“Nobody knows anymore.”

“Poseidon’s beard,” Artemis swore. “Is Athens still standing?”

“Yes.”

“Pity.”

“But, Troy…where was it? What was it like?”

Penthesilea brushed a blonde lock behind her ear. “Athena help me, that was so long ago…”

* * *

With six notebook pages filled with firsthand facts about Troy, including its location and nearby landmarks, Lara got to a question which had always bothered her: “What was the war really about?”

Penthesilea shrugged. “Helen's beauty.”

“I can’t believe that.”

The Amazons looked at each other. “Lara,” Diana said slowly, “you mentioned that you'd encountered deathless people before. What was the source of it?”

“In the first case, I don't really know. In the second, it was some sort of…artifact. A glowing crystalline object.”

Penthesilea nodded slowly. “Helen had some sort of artifact which – I don’t know how it worked, but it made her extraordinarily healthy and beautiful. She wasn't aging with the years, or so we heard. The artifact went with her to Troy. The Greeks wanted it enough to go to war.”

“Was she abducted?”

“We never knew. Paris of Troy claimed it was her idea to elope and escape her marriage, but that’s what he would say. To us, the war was simply about repelling the Greek invasion on our border.”

Lara nodded. “And what happened to the artifact?”

“Nobody knows. The Greeks didn’t find it when they sacked the city.”

Lara sighed. “Now the question for me is, do I go after Troy or let it be?”

“I think it's safe to look for the city,” Penthesilea said. “The Greeks tore it apart looking for that artifact, so if they didn’t find it, it's unlikely it's still there.”

“Hopefully Helen destroyed it,” Diana opined. “It sounds like a terrible power to divide a people.”

“Health and beauty?” Lara asked, surprised.

“Imagine if some had access to it and others didn’t, which is what would happen,” Artemis said. “The division could be irreconcilable.”

Lara let her head hang back. “All this power to change the human condition for the better, but we can’t use any of it.”

“The goddesses have their reasons,” Diana tried to assure her.

Lara concealed her displeasure. Not one to put faith in gods, it was a letdown to discover that her crush did.

* * *

That night, Lara dreamed she was in the Parthenon in Athens. She'd been there with her father, but this was different. The stone was unweathered, the roof was whole, and the walls were decorated with scenes from mythology. In front of her was the immense ivory and gold statue of Athena, long ago lost to history. In one hand, it held a figure of Nike, winged goddess of victory, which looked uncannily like Diana. Lara was wondering why when a powerful female voice resounded through the temple: “Kneel.”

Lara didn’t move. “Why?”

“It is customary, but do as you please.” This time the voice was smaller – that is, normal – and directly behind her. Lara turned. She knew immediately, in that way one knows things in dreams, that the tall, grey-eyed woman who stood smiling at her was the goddess Athena. “Not many would dare question a goddess.”

Lara stood firm. “I question everyone.”

“And I appreciate wisdom, even when it is impertinent. Come.” Athena extended her arm and Lara accepted her hand.

They were on the surface of the moon, looking at a small blue disc above the horizon. Lara gasped in awe. “Incredible!”

“Only twelve humans have ever beheld this view, Lara, compared to the seven billion who live on Earth.” Athena turned to face her. “When you found the artifact in Siberia, you destroyed it because your hand was forced. One day, it may not be, and you will be free to change the course of humanity. You must choose wisely.”

Lara frowned. “Why does the ‘wise’ choice always seem to be the status quo?”

“Lara, change must come at once for all, or else gradually, so that all have time to adapt. Science, medicine, engineering; these are my gradual influence in the world, punctuated by people like you.”

Lara stared. “What are you?”

Athena rested her palm on the base of Lara's neck. “Prepare, Lara.” She bent forward and pressed her lips against Lara's forehead.

Lara's mind exploded.

* * *

She woke to the echo of a scream. Her scream. Her sheets were clammy with sweat. She rose, shaking, and leaned against the window frame. _Breathe, Lara._

The door to her room flew open. “Lara?!” It was Diana. “I heard a cry.”

Lara shuddered and turned to face her. “When you said the goddesses had their reasons, I didn't believe you. Athena just told me what the reason is.”

Diana went white. “Pallas Athena herself? Spoke to you?”

“Yes. I’d think I was crazy, if she hadn't made perfect sense.”

Diana took a small step forward, as if hesitant to approach Lara. “Did she command you to do something?”

“She did.”


End file.
